Conference: American Conference
Head Coach: K.C. Keeler
Temple Record: 5-7
Quick 2025 Recap
Temple had its most successful post-COVID season in 2025, scraping together five wins under first-year head coach K.C. Keeler. The Owls had a bit of a bad schedule draw last year as they faced off with three ranked teams in No. 13 Oklahoma, No. 18 Georgia Tech, and No. 24 Tulane. Its most impressive win of the season came in overtime at Tulsa, marking a second consecutive road win and three victories in four
weeks. But things fell apart down the stretch as Keeler’s squad lost four in a row to close out the season.
The Owls narrowly missed bowl eligibility and finished ninth in the American Conference. Still, the general trajectory of the program is starting to trend upward.
Offensive Player to Watch
QB Jaxon Smolik
A familiar face! The former Penn Stater made the transfer from State College to North Philadelphia in January and seems to be the front-runner for the starting quarterback job. He played very sparingly in Happy Valley, save for a few lifeless (not his fault) appearances in a two-QB package. The Iowa native, however, had an eye-popping performance in the Owls’ spring game, completing 15 of his 19 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns.
Smolik still has not gotten a chance to prove himself, especially as a passer, and Temple may be the perfect place for him to thrive. While the Penn State game will certainly have a “revenge” factor for the quarterback, most Nittany Lions fans will surely be happy to see him succeed during the other games on the Owls’ schedule.
Defensive Player to Watch
LB Curly Ordonez
Ordonez returns to Temple in 2026 for his senior season after leading the Owls with 69 tackles in 2025. The Florida native transferred from Independence Community College (Kansas) last year and made a fast adjustment to Division I football, starting every game and earning All-Conference honors from Phil Steele. Ordonez also added a sack, a forced fumble, and three passes defended to his high tackle count last season.
He’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds and has plenty of talent to build upon his first season in Philly. Ordonez hasn’t had a lot of reps against top offensive talent, especially given his JUCO background, but he’s a top candidate to blossom in 2026.
Temple Wins If…
Christian Hackenberg is sacked 10 times.
Penn State Wins If…
The team doesn’t go to McGillin’s on Friday night… But, seriously, this should be an easy first road game for Matt Campbell, and he should expect to have plenty of Penn State support at Lincoln Financial Field. This is, of course, taking for granted that the things Jared outlined all come true against Marshall in week one. Rocco Becht being healthy, Matt Campbell not being a fraud, etc.
This will be about as fun as a “shoo-in” game can be for Penn State and its fans. The in-state rivalry, close proximity of the schools, and plethora of Penn State alumni in the Philadelphia area should add some more juice than usual.
